Natalie Blake Interview

Sport: Powerlifting
Lives: Manchester
Born: 04/12/82

Natalie took up powerlifting in 1999 after switching from athletics. She was then selected to compete at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney where she was the youngest member of the GB powerlifting squad. Having finished 5th in Sydney, Natalie went one better in Athens four years later when she just missed the podium to finish in 4th place.

Interview Transcript

My name's Natalie Blake and I'm a powerlifter.

Q How did you get into your sport?
A I did wheelchair racing for 12 months and then I went to a competition at Stoke Mandeville and then I moved on from there to powerlifting.

Q What do you enjoy most about powerlifting?
A Lifting the weights.

Q What does a typical day in powerliftng involve?
A My typical day would be warming up for my training and then going through my weights.

Q How do you relax when you are not competing or training?
A Hanging out with my mates.

Q What do you hope to achieve in your sport in the future?
A To be a gold medallist.

Q What advice would you give someone wanting to take up powerlifting?
A Think about it carefully - it's a lot of hard work.